Sabastian Sawe grins and then bursts into laughter when it is suggested that a world record would have materialised at this year’s Berlin Marathon had there been better conditions.
It is just a month since the Kenyan’s heroic effort right up to the Brandenburg Gate, a run that his coach Claudio Berardelli describes as “courageous,” after passing halfway on track for the world record in 60:16, only to finish in 2:02:16 – his third straight 2:02 marathon attempt. Others might be less complimentary given the daunting, sweltering 25C temperatures that heaped misery on thousands of others that day.
Yet beyond a debate surrounding the Adidas athlete’s wisdom concerning his strategy, there is now a buzz surrounding marathon racing once again and the upper limits of human performance.
“Berlin was really tough,” Sawe admits in a conversation with the Independent, after a training block that involved up to 230 km (143 miles) of running per week. “I just kept in my mind how well prepared I was, but, yes, the weather made a huge difference.
“I think the world record is really fast, but sub-two? It’ll come by itself, I can say that one will come with the other.
“I can say that what matters most is how I prepared myself, how I’m ready for it. It’s honestly just a matter of time. Sometimes we do things well, but finally the race comes, and it’s disappointing, but with time, it’ll come.”
Berardelli is equally positive: “It’s difficult to say whether he would have broken the world record in better conditions, he definitely could’ve run faster, no doubt, you look at Chicago, we just spoke about that, we came to the conclusion that, of course, the world record needs respect, but we’ll try again, I think he’d have definitely run faster than his debut in Valencia (2:02:05).”
Eliud Kipchoge allowed a generation to dream, or, as the iconic Kenyan uttered repeatedly, “No human is limited.”
And the late Kelvin Kiptum thought as much, shattering the world record in Chicago in 2023 to run 2:00:35, with many concluding a legitimate sub-two hours run was an inevitability before his tragic passing less than four months later.
But it was the feat of another Kenyan in the ‘Windy City’ that may have compromised athletes and their team’s preparation forever.
Ruth Chepngetich became the first woman to break 2:10 in the marathon in 2024. Just six months later, the AIU revealed that she had failed a doping test for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), commonly used as a masking agent for other illegal substances. She accepted a voluntary provisional two-year suspension, leaving a cloud over the sport, with athletes greeted by a storm of skepticism after each seismic performance.
Sawe, who wears the supershoe Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 for his races, claimed victory at this year’s London Marathon and continued to train well in preparation for Berlin earlier this summer, which left Berardelli with a sad conclusion.
“We realised before Berlin that Sabastian is, with respect for my other athletes, a bit different, special and capable of doing something great,” the Italian reveals. “But in light of what happened in Chicago, with Chepngetich, I remember telling [agent] Eric Lilot, ‘this might be the worst moment ever to try to run very fast, people will not believe us.’”
So discussions began with Adidas and the AIU surrounding an expansive voluntary anti-doping protocol that would help remove some of the doubt surrounding Sawe’s expected excellence.
The unprecedented move would see Sawe tested 25 times unannounced from 25 July up to raceday on 21 September.
“Kenya has a big doping problem, but it doesn’t mean every group is doing it or that it’s systematic,” Berardelli claims. “Sabastian agreed straight away, and after consulting with the doctors, the amount [of blood] was so little, so it’s not a problem and the impact is more mental.”
Sawe’s motivation, meanwhile, appears to stem from a desire to preserve the sport’s longevity and avoid a darker reputation that has plagued cycling for decades.
“What can I say to my fellow athletes? It’s good to run clean, so we need a lot of tests to show this and protect athletics,” Sawe claims. “It’s good to run clean, not to cheat, and it’s necessary for the longevity of athletics, and also for a good career in the sport.”
So what next? And where? Both Sawe and Berardelli have left the door open to a half marathon or even a 10km race to fine-tune their preparation for the marathon, something Kipchoge rarely did throughout his career.
Sawe admits he would like to defend his title in London, though the increasingly crammed schedule will leave him with plenty of offers as the No. 1 men’s marathon runner in the world. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo’s sizzling run in Chicago earlier this month, coming tantalisingly close to the world record, only to fade late in 2:02:13, puts him in contention, while compatriot John Korir, a winner at Boston this year, and Olympic champion Tamirat Tola are also worthy of a mention.
It means there is a race outside of the races themselves to line up first next year to break Kiptum’s world record and, ultimately, become the first man to break two hours in a legitimate race after Kipchoge’s INEOS 1:59 Challenge.
“Yes, I’m happy and ready to try it [the world record] again for my next marathon,” Sawe concludes with a smile. “We are ready for it and we’ll get it next time.”
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